


The Sandwich

by BBCMuggle



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: The Sandwich
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 11:38:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3727432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBCMuggle/pseuds/BBCMuggle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A recent S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit gets suspicious when Simmons makes a special sandwich.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sandwich

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during 2x16 after the FitzSimmons fight. Kim is my original character based on all the background agents in Season 2.

It had been a rough day. Kim was ready to stockpile a small mountain of snacks from the kitchen, bring them to her bunk, and binge-watch Netflix for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, the day was only half over, so she gathered enough junk food for her 30-minute lunch and hunkered down in a corner of the kitchen/dining area to eat her feelings away. 

As she started on a bag of chips, she thought about the argument she overheard in the lab that morning.

You see, Kim worked as a scientist for a secret organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. that was recently taken over by another secret organization that claimed to be the “real S.H.I.E.L.D.” It was all very confusing, and she tried to stay out of the politics as much as possible.

She was really interested in the science that she was able to explore with them, and it was re-affirming to be called “Agent Wen” all the time. Sure, she went to S.H.I.E.L.D. academy and she believed in the mission, but when it came to which was the “real S.H.I.E.L.D.” vs. regular S.H.I.E.L.D. she knew about as much as any worker ant knows about the differences between ants and bees.

Still, she was being allowed to continue her work, and she had the best boss in the business: Dr. Jemma Simmons. Simmons had been her idol since her first year at the Academy. They had actually started the same year, but Simmons (being the genius she was) had graduated years earlier and advanced in S.H.I.E.L.D. much faster. Of course, she and Simmons never had much social interaction at the academy. Probably because Simmons was always hanging out with Fitz.

Which is what the argument in the lab had been about that morning. FitzSimmons (everybody called them that) had been having some “relationship issues” ever since Kim joined the team.

When Kim first arrived, she noticed something different about Fitz right away. He wasn’t as sharp, as talkative as he used to be. He didn’t show off the way he used to at the Academy. Then Simmons left and he got worse and worse. That’s probably why they don’t get along now.

There had been steely glares and snarky remarks between them in the lab for a few weeks. Nothing too mean, but nothing nice either. All the lab techs (including Kim) tried to get out of the way when FitzSimmons were around. It was just easier that way.

But today, Fitz had burst into the lab while Simmons was working on a new project for “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. and he had accused her of some pretty mean things. He told her she was afraid, that they were all afraid, and she actually told him to leave S.H.I.E.L.D.

Maybe Kim wouldn’t have given it another thought. Honestly, people were always yelling at each other around here. But this time, guns were pulled out and the lab techs were put in danger because Dr. Fitz had to prove a point. It was selfish of him and she was honestly a little relieved he was leaving.

Lost in thought, Kim hadn’t even noticed another figure come into the kitchen. Then she heard the fridge door close and saw Simmons’ face appear, concerned and concentrated.

Simmons was muttering something that sounded like, “Well, that went well. I think it went well. I think he got the message.”

“Rough day, huh?” Kim asked after swallowing some cheese.

Simmons jumped, a look of terror coming over her face for half a moment before regaining control.

“Oh! Agent Wen. You scared me.” Simmons set some food on the counter, shuffling it around so Kim couldn’t see the labels.

“Sorry. Thought you’d seen me.” Kim shrugged as she pulled out another bag of chips.

“Why are you sitting in a corner by yourself?” Simmons asked as she blocked her food with her body. Kim wondered if she was doing it on purpose.

“Lunch break.” Kim stated.

Simmons eyed the pile of junk food. “I see.”

 “What are you having?” Kim asked, getting up to join Simmons at the counter.

“Oh, I was just making a sandwich.” Simmons gestured to the bread, meat, and cheese she had sitting on the counter.

“And here I thought you lived off tea and crumpets.” Kim joked.

Simmons made no reply, she just pulled out a cutting board, knife, and other sandwich-making supplies.

“Rough day?” Kim asked, trying to make conversation with someone who was obviously otherwise occupied.

“Was it?” Simmons asked as she sliced the bread.

“It got a bit chilly in the lab earlier.” Kim said pointedly.

“Yes, we’ll have to talk to facilities about the air conditioning. It’s getting a tad out of control.” Simmons took some green paste and started spreading it on the bread.

“This 'other S.H.I.E.L.D.' thing is a little weird, huh?” Kim asked. “You think they know what they’re doing?”

“I hope so.” Simmons said distractedly.

“Fitz didn’t think so.”

Simmons stopped in her tracks. Kim knew that would get a reaction, but she wasn’t expecting the slight smile that touched Simmons’ face before retracting into a neutral expression.”

“Agent Fitz is an adult who can make his own decisions.” Simmons continued with her sandwich-making task, putting care into laying each piece of cheese onto the bread so that each bite would have an equal amount.

“You don’t regret telling him to leave?” Kim was too curious to stop. She had to know what was happening.

Simmons didn’t answer right away. She started choosing the best pieces of prosciutto and laying them on the sandwich in perfect lines.

“He’ll be okay.” She finally said, softly - almost reassuringly - and without a hint of malice in her voice.

Kim was taken aback. Simmons had seemed so harsh in the lab earlier, it was odd for her to be so calm now.

“Yeah.” Kim said simply. “Okay. Well, my lunch break is just about over. But I’ve gotta get all those snacks back in the pantry.” She gestured towards the small mountain of food at the table she’d been utilizing.

“Good.” Simmons said distractedly as she finished up the sandwich and cut it in half.

Kim marveled again at how calm Simmons was. She had just lost her best friend in the world and here she was, making a sandwich like nothing had happened.

Kim put all her food away and turned to walk out of the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Simmons had wrapped the sandwiches in strips of paper and was tying little strings around them, secured with bows.

Kim wanted to ask about it, but when she caught Simmons’ eye, there was a fierce look that make her break eye contact immediately. Kim hurried out of the kitchen with a quick “See you in the lab!” thrown back over her shoulder.

But when she had rounded the corner, she stopped and peered back into the kitchen. Simmons wrapped the sandwich in a napkin, then held it to her chest, a longing look coming over her.

Kim knew that she had seen something she shouldn’t have. And the look in Simmons’ eye before she left had scared her. She ran off before Simmons could spot her and knew, more than anything else, that she would be sleeping with one eye open that night.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? Leave a comment below!


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